The nature of Jesus’ ministry in Mark 6
The gospel lectionary reading for Trinity 7 in Yr B appears to be very odd at first, with a separate collection of verses in Marker 6.thirty–34 and 53–56. I think the logic for this is that we are considering the 'bread' of some other Markan sandwich, and the 'filling' is the paired episodes of the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on the water. We are virtually to have a five-week foray into the Quaternary Gospel, and will be looking carefully at both these episodes; the feeding of the five,000 is the only miracle story which occurs in all 4 gospels, and the walking on the water comes in Matthew and John besides equally Mark. Matthew'southward version is, unusually, more detailed than Mark'south, including equally information technology does Peter'southward symbolically rich stepping out of the boat, and we looked at that in Trinity ix final year.
The return of the Twelve to Jesus forms the briefinclusio effectually the episode near John the Baptist; Mark describes their sending out at the get-go of this narrative unit of measurement, and their render in triumph provides a abrupt contrast to the poignancy of the previous verse, where the Baptist's disciples bury his headless corpse. This is the only time in Mark'southward narrative description where the Twelve are described as 'apostles'; both here and at the introduction of the term in Mark 3.14, it is linked with their active ministry both deputed by and parallel to Jesus and his ministry. Information technology helps to point us to what it means to exist part of the [1, holy, catholic and] churchly church.
Mark does non tell usa what Jesus was doing whilst the Twelve went virtually their 'mission'—but the Fourth Gospel does! John iii.24 tells u.s.a. that all the events thus far took placebefore the beginning of Jesus' public ministry in Mark 1.14; and John 4.44 correlates with the rejection of Jesus at Nazareth that we read well-nigh in Marking 6.1–6. We tin can therefore presume that the healing at the Pool of Bethesda in John v (at the fourth dimension of an unnamed feast, not one of the 3 Pilgrim festivals) took identify during this time. It is so followed, in Mark and the Quaternary Gospel, past the feeding of the v,000 nigh the fourth dimension of Passover.
This curt scene-setting introduction to the feeding of the 5,000 is unique to Mark. Jesus' invitation to 'Come away by yourselves' to get some residue and refreshment is characteristic of the narrative: in Mark 4.34 Jesus explains the parable of the sower to the disciples; in Mark 9.two the Three come away to witness the Transfiguration; in Marking 13.iii the disciples ask almost the fall of Jerusalem. All are linked by the expression κατ̓ ἰδίαν, 'by yourselves' or 'by themselves'. According to Mark, times of retreat and refreshment both to rest and to heed to the teaching of Jesus are a vital part of the life of a disciple.
This invitation then sits in stark contrast to the realities of ministry (and of life…?); with all the comings and goings, they could not observe the time to eat. In contrast to British culture, where eating is largely functional—though more like the culture in other parts of Europe—meals were times for relaxation, reflection and conversation, not simply nutrition.
Then far, this gospel has emphasised the pressure of the crowds on Jesus, who have come because the message about him has spread far and broad. So accept balance for him and his disciples ways going to a 'deserted identify', and this then explains the setting of the feeding of the five,000 and why the people cannot get staff of life for themselves. There is here, for once, a trouble with Mark's geography; they exercise not 'cross' the top of the lake on this occasion, and after the feeding Jesus despatched the disciples to 'cross over' to Bethsaida (Mark 6.45). But Luke 9.10 tells united states of america that the feeding happened nigh Bethsaida, and John half dozen.five confirms this as he asks Philip, who came from Bethsaida (John 1.44) near ownership bread. 'Mark'south geography cannot easily be harmonised with Luke'southward' (R T French republic, NIGTC, p 264).
If the boat had been going along the shore (rather than further out), and powered either past oars or by a slack wind, it would not exist difficult both to recognise who was in the boat or to outrun it. Josephus estimates that there were around 200 villages in Galilee, and that would give a population for the region of between 200,000 and 700,000, so a 'slap-up oversupply' which ended up being 5,000 men plus women and children is not hard to imagine.
At that place are 2 vital things to notation about Jesus' response when he sees the oversupply. First, despite both he and the disciples existence exhausted, they from their mission and he from his ministry in Jerusalem at the same time, his response is not resentment simply pity. The verb σπλαγχνίζομαι is rare in Mark (occurring only hither and Marking viii.2 and 9.22) but in the gospels it is only ever used of Jesus.
Combined with the simile of sheep without a shepherd it presents Jesus as 'the i who cares' (France, p 265)
The phrase 'sheep without a shepherd' signifies people without leadership, or with failed leadership. It is used in Num 27.17 of the people of Israel in apprehension of Moses' death, and the trouble is solved by the date of Joshua. It is used in ane Kings 22.17 of Ahab's ground forces after his death in battle. Most notably, it is used of the people whose leaders have failed them in Ezek 34.5–6, a key passage behind Jesus' teaching 'I am the skillful shepherd' in John 10.11. And information technology is used of of the people'due south helplessness when their (messianic) leader is taken away. Scripture might not use the terminology of 'leadership' merely it certainly believes in the importance of leadership.
And here nosotros see the second vital affair about Jesus' response: he teaches them. Leaderless people need didactics so that they understand who God is, what he has done for them, and what he wills for them. Without this, they go hungry and bumming. And information technology is no accident that this immediately precedes the feeding miracle.
Mark sets out Jesus as the shepherd who feeds his people with true didactics; from his supply there is more than enough to feed all their needs (Ernest All-time,The Temptation and the Passion, p 78 cited in France NIGTC p 265).
The people cannot live on bread alone, but need every give-and-take that comes from the oral fissure of God, brought to them in the didactics of Jesus. You cannot separate 'pastoral' care from teaching the word, which is probably why they are grouping and so closely together past Paul in the four- or v-fold list in Eph four.xi ('pastors and teachers' or 'pastor-teachers').
Having skipped over the episodes we will explore in the Quaternary Gospel in the coming weeks, we land once more at Mark 6.53. Jesus and the disciples take crossed back over the north of the lake from the northward-east shore to the northward-westward. Despite the diverse in English language translations, the general verb means that they landed and secured the gunkhole, either by tying information technology to a dock or pulling information technology upwards on the beach. I wonder whether the sense of security in landing is a natural contrast to the buffeting they accept experienced in the journey across. (The parallel in Matthew fourteen.34 does non include this detail.)
At this point in the narrative, the Fourth Gospel includes Jesus' challenge to the people and their reason for seeking him in the discourse about the breadstuff of life (John 6.26f). But Matthew follows Mark in summarising Jesus' ministry building of healing, though again he omits all of Mark'due south 'unnecessary', incidental (eyewitness?) detail:
- Those who recognised Jesusran around the region, suggesting a sense of urgency or excitement.
- They brought all the sick lying on theirkrabbatoi (bed, stretcher, pallet).
- They brought them to every place 'they heard he was', continuing the repeated accent on the passing around of the news about Jesus.
- The ministry building of Jesus took identify in 'villages, cities or the countryside'. Unlike Paul, who normally preached in key urban centres on trade routes, Jesus does not appear to accept any worked out 'missional' strategy, but scatters the seed of the word on every kind of ground.
- They laid the ill in the market place; this is the natural gathering point in any village or town of the area, and continues to exist so in many rural areas around the world today. The healing (and presumably teaching) of Jesus happened in the public square, not merely in the privatised sphere of personal devotion.
The mention of hiskraspedon, the fringe of his garment, mayhap including the tassels fixed at the corners in accordance with the commandment of Deut 22.12; if so, this would fit with the picture we take throughout the gospels of Jesus as an orthodox, Torah-observant Jew. In narrative terms, it connects back to the mention of thekraspedon in Matthew nine.20 and Luke eight.44 in their accounts of the woman healed with the event of blood, simply it also points forward to the ministries of Peter (Acts v.xv) and Paul (Acts xix.2) who similarly dispensed the healing power of God as they passed by.
And, in contrast to Jesus' feel in Nazareth, both Mark and Matthew emphasise that his healing is universally effective.
(I trust, dear Reader, that you lot will be impressed that I managed to find 1,571 words to write about two brusque, slightly obscure and plainly insignificant passages!)
The image at the tiptop is from the picture show by James Tissot.
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